Page 101 of Sunshine

“Who’s you’re new friend?” Maeve beamed at me and Julian.

“Julian Kahele.” I linked my arm in his. “He’s my boyfriend.”

A thrill of pleasure raced through me at the word. It never got old, being able to claim Julian in some way. Maeve’s eyes widened and her smile got even bigger.

“We’ve got your usual table ready, so please follow me.” Maeve picked up menus, and we followed her through the tearoom. It was only half filled, almost totally by women from across a range of ages.

The place was decorated like a classic 18thcentury British tearoom, with wallpaper covered in small flowers and small, round tables made of dark wood, covered in white cloths.

Maeve showed us to a table against the far wall, next to a series of portraits of English ladies. Whenever I came here with Ember, she liked to make up stories about the wild and crazy lives of omegas in historic times.

Sitting the fabric menus down on the table, Maeve smiled and gave us a little wave. “Delia is going to be your server. Let me know if you need anything.”

“Thanks.” I sat down, carefully watching Julian’s face for any sign of annoyance.

Maybe this was too girly for him. It must be weird being an omega and a dude, when the rest of the world assumed you were going to be a woman and catered to what they thought was feminine.

“This is really cool.” Julian was looking around, craning his neck to scan the other rooms. I tried to see it from his view, remembering the pure joy and wonder I’d felt the first time I had come here.

The air carried the aroma of sugar and tea, but the scent diffusers meant it wasn’t overpowering. Fresh flowers decorated the tables and shelves, everything from full, blowsy pink roses to dainty violets.

“It’s a private tearoom,” I said, fiddling with the menu. “You have to make an appointment, and only omegas with their designated attendants are allowed in.”

Julian opened the menu. “Oooo, what kind of food do they have? Dainty little cucumber sandwiches?”

“Of course. We can choose between a la carte, brunch, afternoon tea or high tea.”

Julian flipped through the menu. His brown eyes were warm, and he kept smiling. “High tea has the sandwiches, scones, and desserts? That is the clear winner then.”

I loved that he had such an open face.

“Is this okay?” I decided to ask. He was honest with me, and I was sure he would tell me if he wasn’t feeling it. “We could go somewhere else if this is too…girly.”

“What? Why?” He frowned. “The vibes here are top notch. I’m all relaxed and I need to carb up.”

I grinned. “You’re sure?”

“Positive.” He propped his hands up on the table and rested his chin on his fingers. “I want nothing more than to spend an afternoon here, with you, eating dainty little sandwiches.”

“Hello, Sunshine. It’s good to see you again.” Delia smiled at me. She was a tall, lanky omega, built like a volleyball player. My family and I had been coming here for years, so I knew most of the staff. She turned to Julian and raised her eyebrows. “And who’s this?”

Julian grinned. “I’m the boyfriend.”

“Good for you.” Delia’s smile grew wider as she bumped my shoulder. “Have you decided what sort of tea I can start you off with?”

“I haven’t really drunk many different types outside of regular black tea or, like, the cold, sweet peach or lemon tea at restaurants.” Julian scanned the menu.

“Ah! A newbie.” Delia brightened up and tapped the two pages of tea and fruit infusion options. “We have a wide range of green, black, white, and rooibos teas along with fruit infusions.”

As Julian scanned the menu, his nose scrunched in the most adorable way.

“How about we have the Around the World tea sampler?” I cocked my head. “I like a wide variety of tea, and that way you can try a bunch of different ones.”

“Perfect.” My omega pointed at the high tea option on the menu, looking at me for confirmation. “And this sounds amazing.”

I was already nodding. Cute sandwiches, scones with jam and cream, and then dessert? Sign me up.

“Great! I’ll bring your tea out in a few minutes.” Delia took our menus with a smile and left.

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